As a veteran homeschooling parent with twenty successful
years of experience, plus work as a writer and editor, I sometimes get calls
from parents whose teenage children need help writing. What I concentrate on
when I tutor this age group is mastery of a basic, five-paragraph essay. If
your child knows how to properly organize and construct this type of paper by
the time he graduates, he will be well on his way to academic success in
college. There is a simple, almost mathematical formula for constructing such
an essay. If your child follows these steps and applies my top two tips,
success is only a matter of time: Know the material; jot down whatever comes to mind, otherwise
known as freewriting; create an outline; draft a strong thesis statement and solid
topic sentences; pay attention to organization and flow; and rewrite if
necessary.
If the student is new to essay writing, it is best to first
assign descriptive or narrative essays that are based on personal experience.
These don’t require research, so a bibliography is unnecessary. A descriptive
essay can simply be about which restaurant makes the best pizza, and a
narrative essay can be about the student’s best or worst day. Since the subject
matter is familiar, the actual writing and structure of the paper become the
focal points, so the teacher or tutor will more easily see where help is
needed, if any.
